Sunday Notes: Steve Sparks Performed With Troy O’Leary and Dave Nilsson

Steve Sparks had a stable taking part in profession. The now Houston Astros broadcaster debuted with the Milwaukee Brewers two months earlier than his thirtieth birthday, in 1995, and went on to toss butterflies within the massive leagues via 2004. His greatest season got here with the Detroit Tigers in 2001 when he logged 14 wins and posted a 3.65 ERA over 232 innings.

Sandwiched between the knuckleballer’s stints in Beer City and Motown had been a pair of seasons in Anaheim, the place his teammates included Orlando Palmeiro. According to Sparks, the left-handed-hitting outfielder wasn’t all the time a left-handed-hitting outfielder.

“He was originally a right-handed second baseman, but he broke his arm,” the pitcher-turned-broadcaster defined previous to a latest sport at Fenway Park. “He was ambidextrous to begin with, so he started playing the outfield throwing left-handed, and that’s how he remained. I played with Orlando, but he never told me that. Joe Maddon was a minor league field coordinator with the Angels, and he’s the one who told me.”

Sparks proceeded to level out that Palmeiro made the ultimate out of the 2005 World Series towards the Astros whereas taking part in with the Chicago White Sox.

Meanwhile, an outfielder whose greatest big-league seasons got here with the Boston Red Sox performed with Sparks on the rookie-level Helena Brewers in 1987.

“He was very gifted,” Sparks mentioned of Troy O’Leary, who was simply 17 years outdated at the moment. “We knew that he was going to get through the system pretty quickly because of his bat. He was also one of the nicest, most popular guys that we had in the system. Troy had a heart of gold from day one. He actually reminds me of Rafael Devers. Their body language, the loose whippy swing. Every time we play Boston and I see him, I think of Troy.”

O’Leary wasn’t nearly as good as Devers — his profession numbers embody 1,100 hits, 127 dwelling runs, and a 97 wRC+ — however he did have plenty of success towards Sparks. The Compton, California native went 9-for-12 with a double and a house run towards the Tulsa, Oklahoma-born right-hander.

“I don’t remember that, but it doesn’t surprise me,” Sparks mentioned of their head-to-head file. “And it’s funny, because when I look back at guys I’d played with previously, many had a fair amount of success against me. I guess Troy is one of them.”

Dave Nilsson was 17 years outdated and a handful of months faraway from signing with the Brewers out of Brisbane, Australia when he performed alongside O’Leary and Sparks in Helena. He by no means acquired an opportunity to bat towards Sparks, however the two do have a fascinating historical past collectively. Following Sparks’s 1995 rookie season, Nilsson, who by then was Milwaukee’s’ main catcher, requested him to be the pitching coach for the staff he’d be managing in Brisbane that winter. Sparks accepted, and proceeded to spend 4 months Down Under the place, because the outdated Foster’s Beer advert knowledgeable us, individuals “speak Australian.” Having roomed with Nilsson within the minor leagues, he was already acquainted with the language.

“Dave would get really frustrated when he’d call Domino’s Pizza,” recalled Sparks. “They couldn’t understand his accent, because it was so thick. He ended up making me place his orders, because they couldn’t understand what kind of pizza he wanted. But he could really hit. I think he batted .390 in the Pioneer League. He came out swinging, right from the get-go, at a young age. He went on to have an All-Star season and was one of the best hitting catchers in the major leagues.”

Nilsson performed eight MLB seasons, all with the Brewers, and all earlier than celebrating his thirtieth birthday, ending with a .284/.356/.461 slash line and a 108 wRC+. He subsequently represented his nation within the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games, and within the 2006 WBC. Nilsson is now the top coach of Team Australia.

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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS

Homer Summa went 26 for 54 towards Hooks Dauss.

Homer Smoot went 12 for twenty-four towards Big Jeff Pfeffer.

Homer Peel went 2 for 4 towards Boom Boom Beck.

Home Run Baker went 6 for 13 towards Slow Joe Doyle.

Cookie Rojas went 1 for two towards Darcy Fast.

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The Los Angeles Dodgers have performed each staff this season excluding the Detroit Tigers and the Seattle Mariners. Last weekend, I requested LA supervisor Dave Roberts which opponent, excluding the powerhouse Atlanta Braves, he has been most impressed with. He named two.

“The Orioles are very impressive,” replied Roberts, whose membership received two out of three from the AL East leaders in mid-July. “It’s a shame they’re losing Félix Bautista. I really like that shortstop [Gunnar Henderson]. [Adley] Rutschman is special. That team really impressed me.”

“The way that the Reds have played, consistently holding on and continuing to grind… I really like [Matt] McLain. [Elly] De La Cruz is a human highlight film. He’s like the Dominique Wilkins of baseball. Those two teams have really stood out to me.”

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Dusty Baker had an extended checklist after I requested him the identical query this previous Monday.

“It depends,” mentioned the Houston Astros supervisor. “I was impressed with this team [the Red Sox] when they beat us 17-1. I was impressed with Seattle the last time we saw them [August 18-20]. I was impressed with the Braves, even though we swept them. I was impressed with the Dodgers; they beat us two out of three when we played them out there. But I try not to be over-impressed by anybody. I also try not to underestimate anybody.”

Following up, I requested the long run Hall of Fame supervisor what had impressed him in regards to the Mariners. His response included point out of two different golf equipment.

“Their pitching and the fact that they were hot as hell,” Baker mentioned of Seattle. “And Cincinnati came in and swept us as a hot team… They’ve got a lot of speed. A lot of speed. They’ve got some young guys who can hit. And Texas. Those two teams are really improved.”

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A quiz:

Only two pitchers in MLB historical past have allowed 500 or extra dwelling runs. Who are they?

The reply will be discovered beneath.

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NEWS NOTES

Ned Yost was formally inducted within the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame yesterday. Yost managed the membership from 2010-2019, a ten-year interval by which they went 746-839 and captured a World Series title in 2015.

The Internet Baseball Writers Association of America (IBWAA) has honored Mark Armour with its first ever lifetime achievement award. The founder and director of SABR’s Baseball Biography Project, Armour presently serves as SABR’s president.

Registration is now open for SABR’s Women in Baseball convention, which will likely be held just about from on September 29-October 1. More data will be discovered right here.

Pat Corrales, a catcher who appeared in 300 video games whereas taking part in for 4 groups from 1964-1973, and later managed the Rangers, Indians, and Phillies, died on August 28 at age 81. The final of the backup backstop’s 4 profession dwelling runs was a ninth-inning, three-run shot that gave the Reds a 3-1 win over the Braves in 1970. Corrales had one at-bat that October when Cincinnati misplaced to the Orioles within the World Series.

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The reply to the quiz is Jamie Moyer with 522 dwelling runs allowed, and Robin Roberts with 505 dwelling runs allowed.

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Ryan Lefebvre isn’t distinctive in having gone from the taking part in subject to the published sales space. The method he made the transition is considerably distinctive. Now in his twenty fifth season behind the mic for the Kansas City Royals, Lefebvre hung up his spikes two-plus weeks after being drafted out of the University of Minnesota, having taking part in simply six skilled video games. Moreover, he’d simply helped lead the Gophers to the 1993 Big 10 title, and his slash line over 4 collegiate seasons was a rock stable .344/438/.443.

I requested the son of former Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Jim Lefebvre — together with Wes Parker, Maury Wills, and Jim Gilliam, a part of MLB’s solely all switch-hitting infield — why he opted to not chase his boyhood dream.

“My dad, in addition to being a player, coach, and manager, was also a farm director,” replied Lefebvre. “For years, his organization had to put an end to more dreams than they saw kids’ dreams realized. I was drafted in the 27th round [by Cleveland] and knew it was going to be a difficult road, that I wasn’t a real prospect. I went to college wanting to be a major league player, but I realized that I needed to have a solid Plan B too.”

Lefebvre earned a level in Speech Communication, Sociology, and American Studies at Minnesota, working on the campus’s two radio stations alongside the way in which. He additionally had an internship at a Falmouth, Massachusetts station whereas taking part in within the Cape Cod League. It was there that he started to significantly contemplate an on-air profession. He additionally got here to appreciate that whereas he may compete towards his friends on the diamond, “they cared about it a lot more than I did.”

An enormous-league broadcasting job was proper across the nook. The Twins employed the then-24-year-old in 1995, and he spent 4 years calling video games in Minnesota earlier than shifting on to Kansas City. Shortly after taking the Twins job, he had an attention-grabbing encounter with Cleveland GM John Hart.

“I introduced myself to him,” recalled Lefebvre. “I wanted to say hello, because the Indians had been great to me when they realized I didn’t want to play anymore. He was probably just trying to be nice, but John Hart said to me, ’Ryan, good luck to you; we sure wish we had you in our outfield.’ I remember thinking, ‘Really? With Manny Ramirez, Kenny Lofton, and Albert Belle? What exactly would I be doing in your outfield?’ I think I made the right choice.”

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FOREIGN AFFAIRS

The Australian Baseball League has launched its 2023-2024 schedule, with the season set to start on November 17. The Adelaide Giants are the defending champions within the six-team circuit.

Kazuma Okamoto leads NPB hitters in dwelling runs (35) and whole bases (254). The 27-year-old nook infielder is slashing .298/.393/.615 for the Yomiuri Giants.

James Marvel is 2-2 with a 2.18 ERA in 20-and-two-thirds innings with the Nippon-Ham Fighters. The 29-year-old right-hander signed with the NPB membership after being launched by the Texas Rangers in June. Marvel’s MLB expertise contains 4 appearances with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2019.

Seunghwan Oh is 3-4 with 23 saves and a 4.28 ERA for the KBO’s Samsung Lions. The 41-year-old right-hander logged 16 wins and 42 saves pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals, Toronto Blue Jays, and Colorado Rockies from 2016-2019.

Ronnie Dawson is slashing .357/.429/.479 with three dwelling runs in 163 plate appearances for the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes. The 28-year-old outfielder performed for the impartial Atlantic League’s Lexington Counter Clocks earlier this season after beforehand getting cups of espresso with the Houston Astros in 2021 and the Cincinnati Reds in 2022.

Kiwoom’s Woo-Jin An will reportedly bear Tommy John surgical procedure. The right-hander, who turned 24 earlier this week, has a 2.24 ERA over 54 begins up to now two seasons. He led the KBO in strikeouts final 12 months and was in line to take action once more this 12 months.

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Spencer Jones has confronted plenty of high quality arms this season. Drafted twenty fifth general final 12 months by the New York Yankees out of Vanderbilt University, the 22-year-old outfielder has logged 485 plate appearances between High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset. The nastiest pitcher he’s stood within the field towards?

“Last night I had a pretty nasty at-bat against their closer,” Jones mentioned in response to that query on Thursday. “I mean, he went back to back splitters and I was like, ‘all right.’ Then he went 99 [mph] at the top of the zone and I walked back to the dugout. That was pretty fun. The guy’s got an electric arm. ”

Described by Eric Longenhagen as “an arm strength maven whose stuff overpowered hitters in the lower minors,” Luis Guerrero was ranked No. 28 with a 40 FV when our Boston Red Sox Top Prospects checklist got here out in mid-June. The 23-year-old right-hander has a 1.81 ERA to go along with 59 strikeouts, 30 walks, and 26 hits allowed in 49-and-two-thirds innings with the Portland Sea Dogs. He has 18 saves.

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FARM NOTES

Carter Aldrete homered 3 times on Thursday because the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels outscored the Hartford Yard Goats 17-10. The 25-year-old infielder/outfielder within the San Francisco Giants group is the nephew of former big-league outfielder, and present Oakland Athletics first base coach, Mike Aldrete.

Ben Rice is slashing .323/.428/.625 with 18 dwelling runs in 278 plate appearances throughout Low-A Tampa, High-A Hudson Valley, and Double-A Somerset. The 24-year-old catcher/first baseman was taken within the twelfth spherical of the 2021 draft by the New York Yankees out of Dartmouth College.

Jett Williams is slashing .260/.429/.440 with 11 dwelling runs in 475 plate appearances between Low-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn. No. 8 on our New York Mets Top Prospects checklist with a forty five+ FV, the 19-year-old shortstop/outfielder was drafted 14th general in 2022 out of Texas’s Rockwell-Heath High School.

Colson Montgomery is slashing .298/.470/.494 with six dwelling runs in 238 plate appearances throughout the Arizona Complex League, High-A Winston Salem, and Double-A Birmingham. No. 1 on our Chicago White Sox Top Prospects checklist coming into the season, the 21-year-old shortstop was drafted twenty second general in 2021 out of Huntingburg, Indiana’s South Ridge High School.

Luke Little is 5-2 with a 2.12 ERA, one save, and 105 strikeouts over 63-and-two-thirds innings throughout High-A South Bend, Double-A Tennessee, and Triple-A Iowa. The 22-year-old southpaw was chosen within the fourth spherical of the 2020 draft by the Chicago Cubs out of San Jacinto College.

Marc Church is 8-3 with two saves, a 3.38 ERA, and 73 strikeouts in 53-and-a-third innings between Double-A Frisco and Triple-A Round Rock. The 22-year-old right-hander out of Georgia’s North Atlanta High School is No. 20 on our Texas Rangers Top Prospects checklist with a 40+ FV.

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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE

Sports Illustrated’s Emma Baccellieri wrote about how Stephen Strasburg’s profession amounted to extra than simply an all-time what-if.

Purple Row’s Renee Dechert checked out how efficient the Colorado Rockies are on the bases.

MiLB.com’s Evan Desai wrote about how Lansing Lugnuts left-hander Kumar Lambiar, Oakland’s Thirty fourth-round decide in 2019 out of Yale University, is proud to characterize his Indian origins.

Why has Minnesota Twins nearer Jhoan Duran been scuffling? John Foley delved into that query at Twinkie Town.

The Chicago White Sox have produced a documentary “highlighting the team’s rebrand in the ’90s and its intersection with hip-hop, pop culture and fashion.” Brent Maguire has the story at MLB.com.

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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS

The common time of a nine-inning MLB sport this season is 2:39, down from 3:04 a 12 months in the past. Nine-inning postseason video games averaged 3:23 final 12 months.

Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners starters have thrown 762 innings this 12 months, tied for essentially the most within the majors. San Francisco Giants starters have thrown 611-and-two-thirds innings, the fewest within the majors.

The San Diego Padres are 0-11 in extra-inning video games this season. The 1969 Montreal Expos, who completed their ninnaugural season 52-110, went 0-12 in extra-inning video games.

Heavy Johnson slashed .406/.471/.722 with 20 dwelling runs in 429 plate appearances for the Negro National League’s Kansas City Monarchs in 1923. A 12 months earlier, the Atchison, Kansas native slashed .406/.450/.715 will 11 dwelling runs in 263 plate appearances.

On at present’s date in 1917, Grover Cleveland Alexander logged a pair of complete-game wins because the Philadelphia Phillies swept a double-header from the Brooklyn Robbins by scores of 5-0 and 9-3. The Hall of Fame right-hander went on end the season 30-13, his third consecutive 12 months with 30 or extra wins.

St. Louis Cardinals southpaw Bud Smith threw a no-hitter towards the San Diego Padres on at present’s date in 2001. The rookie went on to complete his temporary MLB profession with a file of 7-8 and simply the one full sport.

Players born on at present’s date embody Katsy Keifer, a left-handed pitcher whose big-league profession comprised a complete-game win for the Federal League’s Indiana Hoosiers in 1914. The California, Pennsylvania native’s 10-year minor-league profession included stints with the Traverse City Resorters, Battle Creek Crickets, St. Joseph Drummers, and Worcester Boosters.

Also born on at present’s date was Weldon West, a southpaw who went 3-4 with a 4.29 ERA pitching for the St. Louis Browns in 1944 and 1945. St. Louis’s beginning centerfielder in all three of West’s wins was one-armed Pete Gray.